Norman Lebrecht, who seems now to have no goal in life beyond actively impeding the progress of classical music—and why not: look how cruelly the industry has treated him!—has published a “review” from a “critic” who walked out of a three-act opera after the first act.

Here’s a story in which practically nobody in authority comes off well. Daniel Harding conducts a concert at La Scala that includes a selection from Tristan und Isolde, about which the Corriere della Sera‘s venerable criticPaolo Isotta snipes “Harding’s conducting was so soft it made you think he wanted to back the unfounded theory that Wagner was homosexual.” So then La Scala’s GM Stéphane Lissner kicks Isotta off the press list for the company: he can still review Scala events but will have to pay for his own ticket. [The Telegraph]

Lincoln Center’s Great Performers presents Diana Damrau on Saturday, December 10th, joined by Xavier de Maistre on harp, performing works by Debussy, Strauss, Fauré, and more. A regular at the Met Opera, Damrau has been called “a soprano of matchless intelligence” (Guardian).

“One of the greatest proponents of the German lied tradition” (New York Times), baritone Christian Gerhaher performs an all-Mahler program on Saturday, December 17th, featuring Gerold Huber on piano. The Telegraph calls him “the most moving singer in the world.”

“Anna Bolena… opened at the Metropolitan Opera on Monday in a new production featuring Anna Netrebko and two handsome Irish wolfhounds who helped us get through one very tedious scene.” (Bloomberg News, Manuela Hoelterhoff) Read more »